CCT333 Tutorial 8 Biomimicry: Janine Benyus and the Biomimicry Institute and Guild
Janine Benyus heads both the research nonprofit Biomimicry Institute and the for-profit innovation consultancy, the Biomimicry Guild, and her mission is to show engineers and designers how to translate those ideas into a corporate, commercial context. She is the author of 'Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature', published in 1997, which discusses how to re-design our interaction with nature by showing deep respect for the natural world as a mentor for our design strategies.
Write three paragraphs defining how, according to Janine Benyus, "the simple, elegant mechanics developed by nature often make sense in a human context, too". (3 paragraphs)
Quote of the Week:
"And in a wily streak that reveals Benyus' inner activist, most of the innovations will be taken from organisms on the so-called Red List, an international inventory of severely endangered species published annually by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources. That, Benyus hopes, will create an embedded incentive for businesses to safeguard imperiled habitats, protecting nature's design lab not just as a matter of stewardship but as a matter of economic self-interest."
Janine Benyus heads both the research nonprofit Biomimicry Institute and the for-profit innovation consultancy, the Biomimicry Guild, and her mission is to show engineers and designers how to translate those ideas into a corporate, commercial context. She is the author of 'Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature', published in 1997, which discusses how to re-design our interaction with nature by showing deep respect for the natural world as a mentor for our design strategies.
Read the article 'Using Nature as a Design Guide' at http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/feb2008/id20080211_074559.htm?campaign_id=rss_innovate about Janine Benyus, creator of the burgeoning "biomimicry" movement.
Review Janine Benyus' TED Talk 12 Sustainable Design Ideas from Nature at
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designs.html
Look over examples of her biomimetic principles applied to products in the slideshow located at http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_green_biomimic/index_01.htm and write a short, one paragraph synopsis for each of your four favourite product designs. (4 paragraphs)
Write three paragraphs defining how, according to Janine Benyus, "the simple, elegant mechanics developed by nature often make sense in a human context, too". (3 paragraphs)
Quote of the Week:
"And in a wily streak that reveals Benyus' inner activist, most of the innovations will be taken from organisms on the so-called Red List, an international inventory of severely endangered species published annually by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources. That, Benyus hopes, will create an embedded incentive for businesses to safeguard imperiled habitats, protecting nature's design lab not just as a matter of stewardship but as a matter of economic self-interest."